Thirds of his right to rockwell j



(LP. BURTON. Wagon-Lock.

No. '2-24,07l. Patented Feb. 3, 1880..

I297. fa

D I I I E J 1 I N.PETE.RS. PHOTO-UTHUGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D Q

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

GEORGE F. BURTON, OF MENOMONEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR OF TWO- THIRDS OF HIS RIGHT TO ROCKWELL J. FLINT AND F. J. MOLEAN,

or SAME I PLACE.

WAGON-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters PatentNo. 224,071, dated February 3, 1880., Application filed October 18, 1879.

View of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section of the same in the line mm of Fig. 1, showing the parts in position for locking either on the right or left side of the tongue.

Fig. 4 is a similar section, showing one of the locks thrown out of locking position and the otherremainingin locking position. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the rear portion of the tongue, with a means for attaching the Whittletree pin tofa draft plate, and the hammer-strap to said pin and a hook of the tongue. Fig. 6 is a modification of. the fastenin gs and stay of circle-plate.

I My present invention relates to an improved mode of constructing and applying wagom locks whichfoperate on the general principle of those shown in Letters Patent granted to me on Novemberfi, 1878; and the nature of my invention consists, first, in the locking device composed of two plates connectedtogether by square or many-sided bars, instead of by broad plates, as in my aforesaid patent, which bars bear with their corners, upon theupper andunder sides of the circle-plate;

second, in rods provided with means of ad justment, attached to the cross-bars at the lower ends of the locks and to the Wagonhounds, for compensating for wear of the locks by inclining them to a greater extent; third, in the combination of a laterally-vibrating tongue, its hounds, and angular abutmentplates attached to the houndsof the tongue, and against which the springs for keeping the locksin their locking position, when unrestrained by the tongue, abut, and by which their movement and that of the locks is limited and controlled when the tongue is acting to release the locks; fourth, in the combination of the springs, the abutment-plates, the locks between thehounds, a single trip-plate, and the slotted vibrating tongue; fifth, in the combination of the tongue having a limited vibration independently of its hounds, and pivoted on a cross-bar of the tongue-hounds, the locks, and the circle-plate, whereby the locks can be arranged at the front of the circle-plate and close to each side of the tongue, and thus either lock operated, so as to be unlocked by a direct action of the single tripping-plate applied on the top of the tongue; sixth, in the combination of a circle-plate having its extensions fastened to the reach, a cross-bar fastened by each of its ends to the circle-plate, a single king-bolt passing through the crossbar of the circle-plate and through the reach, the 1ocks,and independently-pivoted tongue, whereby the reach is allowed to rollas well as swing without'twisting the circle-plate, and

thus the circle-plate is kept in proper position for the operation of the looks.

A in the accompanying drawings represents the axle; B, the reach; 0, thewagon-ho'unds; D, the sand-board or top cross-bar; E, the cirole-plate, (technically so called, though not a plate and not strictly a complete circle F, the tongue, and G G the looks.

The reach B is placed between the sandboard D and the axle, and is alloweda slight rollinginovement on the king-pin a, as well as i a horizontal swinging movement on said pin.

The partE, which is to answer as the ordinary fifth-wheel or circle-plate, is formed of either square or round iron, and it is,forward of its center or of the king-pin a, bent in nearly the form of a halfcircle, and in rear of this pin it extends back into straight, oblique, or inwardlyinclined portions 6 e, which are fastened by their shouldered ends to the side edges of the reach B, said ends being clasped in place by angularclasps b, which form abutments for the circleplate E to bear against.

A cross-bar, E, is extended from one side of the circleplate to the other, and its ends bent around the plate, as shown at c. This bar serves as a stay to the ring of the circle-plate, and also provides a means by which the circleplate is fastened to the king-pin a and vabove the sand-board D.

.The tongue F is provided with hounds F, which fit snugly within the front extensions of the wagon-hounds C. To the tongue-hounds F the tongue is pivoted, as shown at f, and it has room enough between the inner faces of the hounds. F for vibrating laterally on the pivot f to the proper extent for unlocking the locks G G as occasion requires.

The tongue and its hounds are attached to the front part of the wagon-hounds by means of a transverse horizontal pin,f and on this pin the tongue, with its hounds, vibrates iman vertical plane. At the place where the pin f passes through the tongue F an oblong horizontal slot, f, is provided, in order to permit the tongue to vibrate horizontally on the pivot f independently of the hounds F. The slot f in conjunction with the spaces f between the tongue and hounds F, permits the tongue to make the necessary movement for tripping or unlocking the locks G G.

, The locks G G, respectively, consist of two flat metal plates, d d, with square holes punched through them, in which holes square bars at d are passed and properly fastened, one bar being above and the other .below the circle- 'plate E, and one bar having its rear or outer side on the same vertical plane with the inner or front side of the other bar, or nearly so, as shown in the drawings. The bars are thus arranged out of line with one another in order to make the proper gripe or bite upon the circle-plate when looking the wagon.

The plates d d are set inclined outward and from a vertical line with the biting-surfaces of the bars, and through their lower extensions round bars 01 are passed, and to these bars connecting and compensating rods H are fastened. These rods H. have screws on their ends, and-the screw ends pass very loosely through the wagon-hounds, and receive nuts h and jam-nuts h on them, as shown. By means of these rods the wear of the locks can be compensated for, and a perfect gripe or bite upon the circle-plate insured. By screwing up the nuts the plates d at will be inclined to a greater extent, and the bars (1 d made to close tighter upon the plate E. a

The proper inclination of the looks is main tained by means of the springs I I, attached to the hounds F, and the extent of movement of the locks while being tripped or unlocked is limited or controlled by the angular abutinent-plates J J, attached to the tonguehounds. The trippingor unlocking of the locks G G is effected by means of a single plate, K, applied above the circle-plate and between the locks G G, and fastened to the top of the tongue, as shown.

In applying my invention to wagons it is mer-strap m to be detached for use in taking off the wheels of the wagon.

The operation of the locks is to gripe upon the top and bottom of the circle-plate when the wheels of the wagon become chocked or stopped; one look operating for the right front wheel, and the other for the left front wheel, accordingly as the wagon is arrested by an obstruction. The tongue cannot vibrate laterally when the locks are in action and the wheel chocked or arrested but the moment the wheel is free and the front axle can swing around on the kin g-pi n the tongue can Vibrate, and in vibrating releases or trips the locks, so that the front axle may turn corners or be swung around in any direction. The action of the tongue is independent of the other parts until the locks are unlocked, and then all move together freely upon the circle-plate and king-pin; but no movement of the tongue can take place to injure the animals while the front wheels are chocked or arrested.

In Fig. 6 two clasps, e fastened to the sandboard D, and clasping over and around the bar, form what is technically called the cirole-plate, E. These elasps render the exten-.

sion of stay-bar E across circle-plate E unnecessary, as is evident from the drawings.

What I claim is 1. The Wagon-lock G, formed of two plates, (1 d, provided with man y-sided bars (1 d, which bear with their corners, and are placed out of line with one another, and one above and the other below a circle-plate, E, of a wagon, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The rod H, provided with means of ad justment, and attached to a cross-bar, d of the lock G and to the wagon-hounds, for the purpose of changing the inclination of the locks G, and thereby compensating for wear, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The angular abutmentplates J J,in combination with the hounds F of the laterallyvibrating tongue F, and against which the spring I of the lock G-abuts, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The combination of the springs II, abutment-plates J J, locks G G, between the hounds, trip-plate K, and slotted vibrating tongue F, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. The tongue F, slotted atf and pivoted on the pin f of the hounds (J, in combination with the locks G G and circle-plate E, sub- F pivoted to the wagon-hounds by a pin, f stautially as and for the purpose described. substantially as and 01 the purpose de- 10 6. The circle-plate E, provided with extenscribed. I

sions e 6, attached to the sides of the reach B, T

5 and stayed by a. cross-bar, E, and fastened GEORGE BU'RTOL in position by the king-pin a, in combination WVitnessesL with the locks G G, and the tongue pivoted H. Y. MOORE, at f, slotted at f, and having its hounds 'N. L. HUWISON. 

